NBA

NBA Rookie of the Year Watch: Who Could Rise to the Top?

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K.J. McDaniels, Philadelphia 76ers

nERD: -5.6
nF Efficiency: -2.6

The Sixers have so many young guns on their roster that it's easy to lose track of them. As Philly goes through its rebuilding process, it showcases a lot of high draft picks. Last year, it was their 11th-overall pick, MCW, and this season, it was supposed to be last year's 6th-overall pick in Nerlens Noel. But, Noel has company in fellow rookie K.J. McDaniels.

McDaniels, selected with this year's 32nd-overall pick, might be outplaying Noel. In fact, the Clemson product possesses the best nERD (-6.4) and numberFire efficiency rating (-2.6) of all NBA Rookies with over 22 minutes played per game. Through the first two weeks of the season, McDaniels has averaged 9.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 23.7 minutes per contest. His early productivity has given him more opportunities to contribute as he's seen an uptick in minutes over the past three games (28.2 per game). With the amount of talent he possesses and the opportunities he's earned early in the year, I would look for McDaniels to continue to excel with his fellow youngsters in Philadelphia.

Games this week: Mavericks, Rockets